Attacks on shop staff increase in struggle with shoplifters

NEARLY 300 shop workers are being assaulted every day because they are being left to fight shoplifters alone, a union has warned.

One in eight retail staff said they had been assaulted, while many more faced verbal abuse or threats, according to research by the Usdaw union.

Two thirds of the 6,700 shop workers surveyed said they were verbally abused last year, two out of five were threatened and 12 per cent had been assaulted during their career.

One said he suffered a black eye while trying to detain a shoplifter, another was threatened with a syringe needle, while others faced abuse from aggressive or drunk customers.

Another said he had an irate customer ram a trolley into his leg, while another told the union: “Customers can be very rude, whistling for attention or clicking fingers.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw’s general secretary, said: “Violence, threats and abuse against workers are among the great scourges of our society. The statistics are shocking and show that urgent action is required.

“Our message is clear: abuse is not a part of the job. Life on the front line of retail can be pretty tough for many shop workers and there is still a lot to do to help protect them.”

Usdaw is calling on the Government to provide stiffer penalties for those who assault shop workers and bring in a specific charge for offenders.

Jack Dromey, the Labour MP, said: “No one goes to work to be abused. The figures are utterly shocking.”

Incidents of shoplifting in UK supermarkets rose by nearly 8 per cent between 2014 and 2017, according to the Press Association. The Police Federation has previously said forces are struggling to deal with call-outs to shoplifting incidents due to staff cuts.